Chunky Turkey and Rice Soup

If you are looking for a light meal for the day after Thanksgiving that will also help you use up some of your leftover turkey and veggies, look no further. This soup is super easy to make and will leave your tummy satisfied. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 large onion finely chopped

1 large stalk celery, halved lengthwise, then sliced

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 tsp salt-free poultry seasoning

4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

2 cups cooked white-meat turkey, torn into chunks

Preparation:

Heat oil on medium heat in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add onions, celery, and carrots and sauté until onions are softened. Stir in seasoning and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add broth and crushed tomatoes, followed by rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in turkey and cook for 2 minutes more, until turkey is hot. Serves 6-8.

Training Aspects’ personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals! Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield,Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…

Top 5 Reasons to Start Using Battle Ropes Today!

Battle ropes are a hot topic these days in the training and personal training field. It’s not a fad, battle ropes are a very effective way of training. Here are the top 5 reasons you should consider adding battle ropes to your workout regimen.

Personal Trainer reason #1:

Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption – Battle ropes are a form of high intensity interval training. With high intensity training comes an “afterburn” effect. After intense exercise your body consumes higher amounts of oxygen than normal. This leads to an increase in metabolism and burned calories!

Personal Trainer Reason #2:

Increase full body power and cardiovascular endurance – Battle ropes are great for increasing full body power as well as cardiovascular endurance. The quick powerful movements increase power and strength throughout the whole body. The intense intervals with shorter rest periods will increase cardiac output and endurance.

Personal Trainer Reason #3

They are low impact – Even though battle ropes can be very intense the impact on the joints are minimal if any at all! This is great for anyone with joints problems that wants to increase their intensity without putting extra wear and tear on their joints.

Personal Trainer Reason #4

Can benefit sport specific athletes – Many of the battle rope exercises can be translated into sport specific movements to increase performance. Some athletes that can benefit from battle rope training are hockey players, football players, and MMA fighters.

Personal Trainer Reason #5

You need a change up in your workout – If you dread going to the gym, using the same old weights and machines then battle ropes could be the perfect change up you’re looking for. Not only are they very fun to use but are also a great way to blow off some steam after a tough day at work!

If you are looking to try out battle ropes you can purchase them at most sporting good stores, they can get a bit pricey though. Another option is to check out a local training studio that specializes in battle rope training and have a professional show you the ropes!

Training Aspects’ personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals! Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield,Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…

Cherry Hill Personal Trainer Quick Tip

How Do You Know If You’re Losing Fat?

Almost everyone would like to lose some weight, but is it the number on the scale you want to lose or body fat?

How do you know if you’re actually losing body fat?

Cherry Hill Personal Trainer Tip #1

You’re consistently losing a pound or two a week – It’s physically impossible to lose or gain 5 pounds of fat or muscle in a day. To lose one pound of fat you should be in a 3500 calories deficit each week. This will ensure optimal fat burning without sacrificing lean muscle.

Cherry Hill Personal Trainer Tip #2

Take Measurements – taking body girth measurements each month can really show your fat burning progress. If your biggest losses are in the areas with the most body fat (ex. Abdomen, hips, waist, thighs) then you know you’re on the right track.

Cherry Hill Personal Trainer Tip #3

Electronic Body Fat or Caliper Testing – the best way to ensure your primarily losing body fat is testing electronically or with calipers. These tools will give you the most cost effective body fat readings and keep you on the right track. If you’re unfamiliar with these tools your best choice is to have a professional personal trainer test your body fat for you and ensure the readings are accurate!

Training Aspects’ personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals! Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield,Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…

5 Small Changes You Can Make to Lead a Healthier Lifestyle

Have you ever sat and thought–I can’t lose weight or get fit or change my life because it’s too hard or takes too much time? We’ve all had those thoughts, but did you know, small changes do make a difference! Small changes slowly add up to big changes over time. Here’s a list of some small changes you can implement in your life that will make a huge impact on your journey to live healthier:

Cherry Hill personal trainer tip #1.

Get Enough Sleep- Adults optimally need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Most of us are lucky if we get the low end of that range. Proper amounts of sleep help reduce stress, helps keep your heart healthy, reduces inflammation, makes you more alert during the day, bolsters your memory, helps you lose weight, and reduces your risk for depression. You will feel better, think better, and look better with a good night’s sleep.

Cherry Hill personal trainer tip #2.

Drink Enough Water- water is essential for the body to function – Do you know over 60% of our body is made up of water? Water is needed to carry out body functions, such as waste removal, and delivery of nutrients and oxygen throughout our body. We lose water every day through urine, bowel movements, perspiration and breathing, thus, water replenishment is essential.

Cherry Hill personal trainer tip #3.

Exercise-. The human body is a machine that is designed to be used! It adapts to meet the demands that you put on it. That means that the harder you push it, within reason, the stronger it will get. This is particularly important for your heart, exercise will increase its ability to pump blood to the various parts of the body and allow optimal oxygen exchange.

Cherry Hill personal trainer tip #5.

Breathe. Deeply. Proper deep breathing through the abdomen has a myriad of health benefits including improving digestion, the quality of your blood, nervous system function, and the respiratory system. It’s easy to learn correct, slow breathing to enjoy the health benefits. When you feel yourself breathing shallowly or too rapidly, correct your breathing style. It will do wonders for your health as well as your workout!

Training Aspects’ personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals! Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield,Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…

Crockpot Turkey and Three Bean Chili

I made this recipe the other day and it turned out so good that I had to share it with you all. Just a warning though, this recipe makes A LOT of chili! However, it freezes incredibly well, so I suggest making up some pre-packaged portions and you have a super healthy go to dinner on nights you don’t feel like cooking!

Healthy Ingredients

1.3 lb (20 oz) fat free ground turkey breast

1 small onion, chopped

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped chilies, drained

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, undrained

1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, undrained

1 (15.5 oz) can small red beans, undrained

2 tbsp chili powder

Method

-Brown turkey and onion in a medium skillet over medium high heat until cooked through.-Drain any fat remaining and transfer to crock pot. Add the beans, chilies, chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato sauce and chili powder mixing well.-Cook on high 6-8 hours.

Training Aspects’ personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals! Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield,Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…

The Common Cold: What is it, How to Avoid it, and Where Exercise Fits In

Explaining the Common Cold and how it is Transmitted

The common cold is the most frequent illness you will have during your lifetime. More than 200 different viruses cause colds. Rhinoviruses and coronaviruses are to blame 25 to 60 percent of the time. Rhinoviruses often attack during the fall and spring seasons, while the coronavirus is common during the winter. Cold viruses are passed from person to person by being inhaled into the nose and air passageways. More severe viruses are transmitted more readily than mild ones because a greater amount of virus is passed into the air by coughing and sneezing. Cold viruses are also spread by simple hand to hand contact with an infected person or with contaminated objects such as door knobs, phones or computer keyboards. The virus itself can live for hours on hands and hard surfaces, then when the hand is brought to the nose or eyes, self-inoculation with the cold virus occurs. Damp, cold, or drafty weather does not increase the risk of getting a cold. According to most cold researchers, cold or bad weather simply brings people together indoors and leads to more person-to-person-contact.

Ways to Avoid Contact and Contamination

If you are sick yourself, you should always cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing by using a handkerchief, tissue, or even your bent arm! Once the virus is transmitted to hands or hard surfaces, as stated previously, it can survive for several hours outside the body waiting to spread to the next person. The best preventative measures for this are proper hand washing, with hot water and soap for the appropriate amount of time (singing row row row your boat three times in your head is approximately the amount of time you’re looking for). Also, spray lysol to decontaminate hard surfaces and always try to avoid touching your face with your hands. Vitamin C is a common remedy. It can help increase immune defense, as well as, if infected reduce the severity and duration of the symptoms. Whether one gets sick with a cold after a sufficient amount of a virus has entered the body depends on many factors that affect the immune system. Mental stress, low food intake, rapid weight loss, lack of sleep and poor hygienic practices have all been associated with impaired immune function and increased risk of infection.

Exercise and the Cold

Can a cold be prevented through regular exercise? When surveyed, people who exercise on a regular basis report fewer colds than their inactive peers. Several exercise training studies with adults support this belief. In these studies, subjects in the exercise groups walked briskly 35-45 minutes, five days a week, for 12-15 weeks during the winter/spring or fall, while the control groups remained physically inactive. The results showed that walkers experienced about half the days with cold symptoms of the sedentary controls. During moderate to vigorous exercise several positive changes occur in your immune system, including an enhanced movement of important immune cells throughout the body. Stress hormones, which can suppress immunity are not elevated during moderate exercise. Although the immune system returns to pre-exercise levels very quickly after the exercise session is over each session represents a boost that reduces the risk of infection over the longterm. Heavy doses of exercise can, however, have the opposite effect. For example, after running a marathon race the body is inflamed for about one-half day with high stress hormones, cytokines and suboptimal immune function. During periods of heavy training, the immune system reflects the physiologic stress experienced by the athlete and illness rates climb. Even a good thing like exercise can be carried too far, and each individual needs to find the right balance between training workloads and rest.

The best way to keep immune defenses operating optimally, practice good hygiene by washing your hands frequently and keep them away from your eyes, mouth and nose. Be sure that you are getting an adequate amount of sleep on a regular schedule. Sleep disruption has been linked to suppressed immunity. Eat a well balanced diet to increase vitamin and mineral levels in the body. Exercise moderately on most days of the week and avoid overtraining and fatigue which can weaken your immune system. If you follow these simple guidelines it will help you keep yourself healthier and less susceptible to the common cold.

Training Aspects’ personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals! Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield,Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…

http://trainingaspects.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/TA-Logo-White-Background-larger-min-300x120.png00Training Aspectshttp://trainingaspects.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/TA-Logo-White-Background-larger-min-300x120.pngTraining Aspects2013-11-22 10:01:392014-01-06 10:43:56Personal Trainer Discusses the Common Cold: What is it, How to Avoid it and Where Exercise Fits in

Personal Trainer Quick Tip!

When and How You Stretch Can Determine Performance!

To stretch or not to stretch pre-workout that is the question. There are two main types of stretching, static and dynamic. Static stretching, Holding a stretch for 20-30 seconds per muscle group (Ex. touching toes for hamstrings), is what most people are familiar with.

Static stretching can be a great tool used for increasing mobility and flexibility post workout, but isn’t as effective pre-game or pre-run. Studies have shown that it not only reduces your power output during sprints or sports like football. Now there is evidence it can reduce endurance performance as well. Two groups, one stretched before, the other did not, were told to go for a 30 minute run and cover as much distance as possible. The non-stretched group actually ran 3.4 % further than the stretched group. This is where dynamic stretching can be beneficially. Dynamic stretching is when actively stretch through controlled body movements or exercises tailored toward the activity you’re about to engage in. Dynamic stretching will warm and ready the muscles without reducing performance. Examples include – controlled high knees, controlled butts kicks for running, hip openers, squats and arm circles for strength training. For optimum performance, save static stretching for after exercise and start incorporating dynamic stretches before you work out!

Training Aspects’ personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals! Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield,Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…

Training Aspects’ personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals! Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield,Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…

Training Aspects’ personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals! Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield,Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…

Personal Trainer’s Healthier Paella with chicken, leeks and tarragon

Paella is a Spanish dish that combines saffron-flavored rice, garlic, onions, peas, tomatoes, and meat or shellfish. In this version, tarragon is substituted for saffron and chicken stands in for spicy chorizo sausage. This is a fantastic meal to make for a crowd and will be a sure fire hit!

Directions

In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, leeks, garlic and chicken strips. Saute until the vegetables are translucent and chicken is slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red pepper slices and continue to saute another 5 minutes. Add rice, tarragon and broth and combine well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Stir in peas and continue to simmer uncovered until broth is absorbed and the rice is tender, 45 to 60 minutes.

Training Aspects’ personal trainers and sports performance coaches want you to accomplish your goals. You, as the personal training client, are a reflection of our personal training and group training methods! We are here to help you accomplish all of your personal training goals! Our main training focus are people looking to increase performance, lose weight , lose body fat and increase lean muscle. Whether you live in Cherry Hill, Haddonfield,Marlton, or any of the other surrounding areas we are here to help you Move, Look and feel as you’ve always desired…